Protoceratops

Protoceratops was a small dinosaur that ate plants. It belonged to a group of dinosaurs called the Cerapoda. Protoceratops was an early relative of the great horned dinosaurs, such as Triceratops. Although it did not have horns, some Protoceratops had a hornlike bump on top of the snout just in front of the eyes. The name Protoceratops means “first horned face.”

Protoceratops measured about 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). Protoceratops had a very long skull that was about one-fifth of its total body length. Bones in the skull grew backward into a frill, or bony shield, which protected the neck. The jaws were beaklike, and there were teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.

Want to see it in action?

Start a free trial

E-mail

To

From

Sender NamePlease enter your name.

Sender EmailPlease enter a valid email address.

Translate this page

Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.

After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.